The conditions of the agreement stipulate that should Ousted be traded to another MLS team prior to the 2018 roster freeze, Vancouver would receive $100,000 in General Allocation Money. The Whitecaps also retain 50% of any future transfer fees.

“We are thankful to David for his five seasons in Vancouver,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson. “We’re happy that we were able to help David move into a situation that was attractive for him and his family, and we wish him the best at DC United.”

A fan favourite, Ousted had been a fixture in the Whitecaps’ lineup since joining the team from Denmark in 2013. He started 142 MLS regular season games with the blue and white, but lost the starting job late last season to New Zealand international keeper Stefan Marinovic.

Ousted had been having trouble finding a new club, given MLS’s complicated rules concerning Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). He voiced his displeasure about the rules, and the communication of them, on social media:

1. Due to «blacklist of players» TAM rules in MLS, I have not been able to agree to terms with 3 teams offering me my option year salary by using TAM.

I got told last night that I wasn’t allowed to be TAM player. Hoping @MLS will release the list of players not eligible to be TAM, so players can know the conditions they’re entertaining the re-entry draft on. #blacklist#mls#playersunion#transparency